White Haired Warrior
by Nanashi Wanderer
Summary: AU: Harry was left at an orphanage when he was 4 years old. He was soon adopted by an odd man and given the chance to become something special...a Witcher. Pairings: Unknown, Rating: T May go up for some foul language, violence and suggestive content.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything else that does not seem like it should belong to me. This is for fun. **

Prologue

"Get out of the car boy!" an angry Vernon Dursley yelled at the four year old boy in the backseat.

Slowly the aforementioned boy made his way out of the car and moved towards the building. After a disastrous morning, a unanimous decision was made by the Dursleys and a four year old Harry James Potter was being deposited at the nearest orphanage. Being pushed into the building, Harry could feel tears stinging at his eyes. At this moment he truly knew that he could never be part of a family. He was being abandoned and left with other family-less children.

Continually fighting back the tears, Harry did not realise that Vernon had left until he was being ushered into the main room. Soon enough he was found a bed and left to get comfortable, the only words spoken to him being that dinner would be at six and that someone would come to get him.

Left alone to his thoughts, the little boy collapsed on the rough bed and fell asleep. His sleep was filled with dreams of abandonment and loneliness.

* * *

><p>"Good morning Mister Rivers, what do we owe the pleasure of your visit today?" the young woman at the front desk asked with a scarlet blush.<p>

"I've just come to visit the children" the man said as he started to walk towards the back room where they were all being held.

"Geralt you jerk, I thought you were here to see me" the receptionist teased.

"Sorry, but today I just felt like seeing the children" Geralt answered with a charming smile.

The receptionist once again blushed wildly as the man made his way into the children's play room. Despite the foreign presence, none of the children reacted to him as he walked through the room. As he made his way towards the back, Geralt was caught off guard by the guarded eyes of a boy who looked no older than four.

Walking towards that child he crouched down in front of him, putting himself on a closer level and looked him directly in the eyes. Before he could manage to speak, he noticed that the eyes were the most entrancing shade of greens he had ever seen. Finally managing to break himself out of the momentary stupor, Geralt managed to speak.

"And what is your name young man?" he asked, making sure to hold a respect for the boy (after all, he would get nowhere by talking down to this one, he could feel it).

"H...Harry Po...Potter sir" the boy answered hesitantly.

"Well then Harry, do you mind if I call you Harry?" Geralt began, once Harry nodded he continued. "Well, I would like to ask you a few questions. Do you mind coming with me?"

Harry nodded cautiously and Geralt did not miss his hesitation. Reaching out his hand to the boy, he beckoned for him to follow and Harry subsequently, but still nervously obliged. Walking past the receptionist, Geralt let her know that he was just taking the boy to the outdoor area to talk. As he said that he didn't miss the look of awe and the smile that spread across her face.

It was a known fact that Geralt would frequently visit the orphanage. It was also well known that he seemed to be searching for a specific child to take with him. So far none had been able to live up to what he wanted, but it seemed like this boy finally would.

"So, Harry, do you know anything about your parents?" he asked.

Harry looked at him blankly; he seemed to be confused by the question. Geralt scowled at this reaction, but stopped as soon as he saw how the boy reacted to it. Curiosity was starting to get the better of him, but he squelched it for the time being. Now he really needed to talk with the boy.

"Okay then, well, what I'm about to tell you may be shocking, but I need you to bear with me" Geralt began, kneeling in front of the boy and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You are a being with the ability to use magic. Now, you should've already known this, but for some reason you do not. As such, I shall be going into a fair amount of detail with you right now. Is that alright?"

Harry was dumbfounded. Here was an adult who was talking to him without any anger; just a firm and collected voice that seemed to be tinged with a hint of urgency and hope. Finally nodding his head in understanding, Geralt resumed his discussion.

"Well, as I said, you are a person with the ability to perform magic. A strong magical core is building within you and by the time you turn eleven, I hope to have it fairly well developed. Anyways, the world is full of witches and wizards, as well as many other creatures. All of them live essentially in plain sight, but have protected themselves from common knowledge since the days of Merlin. You are one such person and how you ended up being raised by a non-magical family is beyond me. Your parents themselves were heroes of this world. Due to their actions, they are some of the greatest and most unrecognized heroes in the magical world, being overshadowed by actions I doubt you can even remember. You may have been the one who defeated the Dark Wizard Voldemort, but it was your mother who gave you that opportunity to survive and live on. To many witches, wizards and magical creatures, you are one of the greatest heroes out there, aside from the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. For that reason, great things are constantly going to be expected of you. So, I'm going to ask you a simple question. Would you like to come with me, learn about the magical world that your parents were a part of, and become a Witcher?"

Harry remained emotionless, but his mind was working swiftly. He could tell that this was an offer to be adopted. That much was clear to him, but he also knew that he would be learning things he would have never expected. As that thought came to him, his eyes widened. Despite everything that had occurred at the Dursley's, he still had a very strong urge to learn. Nodding intensely, Harry spoke up for the first time in a long while.

"I'd...I'd like that" he said.

A smile graced Geralt's face as he saw the boy become more comfortable with the idea. He knew that the training he'd be giving would be tough, as would the changes the boy would have to undergo to truly become a Witcher, but it also meant that both would finally have a family. That thought was apparently clearly evident on his face as Harry seemed to give him a comforting and thankful squeeze.

"Well then, Harry lets go. I'll fill out the adoption forms, and then we'll be on our way" Geralt told the boy.

Harry nodded excitedly as he followed Geralt back into the orphanage.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to adopt this boy here" Geralt said to the receptionist as soon as he returned inside.<p>

"Oh, Geralt, I can't believe it. You've finally found the one who suits you?" the woman squealed slightly as she heard his declaration.

"Yes, I have" he replied calmly. "He will be coming with me tonight at the latest."

"Alright then, I assume you've had the paperwork with you?" the woman said with a smile. "You've been carrying it for nearly four years."

"Here it is, filled out exactly as necessary" Geralt stated as he passed the papers over.

"Good, now I expect to hear a report from you and the boy once a week for the first twelve months. If we decide that you're not doing well enough, then we'll take him back. You understand that?"

"Yes ma'am" Geralt replied mockingly with a bow. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good, now go take the boy home" she said with a wave and a smile. "He's really going to appreciate this, you do know that. So go, get going."

"Doesn't he have any possessions to take with him?"

"Nope, we don't know why, but he's completely free of those burdens when he got here. I believe he was abused by the man who brought him here."

Geralt was once again scowling when he heard that. If he ever found out who looked after the boy for the first few years of his life, he would definitely make them pay. However, his expression changed upon seeing little Harry waiting for him near the doorway.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked with a smile.

Harry nodded and followed Geralt out of the orphanage. Once he stepped back outside the front doors, the little boy felt a wave of relief spread over him. No longer was he bound to that place, or to the Dursleys. Today was the first step of his new life. It was the first step the four year old had taken into the magical world, and it was the first step towards him becoming a Witcher.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore was furious when he found out what the Dursley's had done. It had all started while completing some preparations for the next term at Hogwarts. The aging Headmaster had noticed that there was something wrong with his tracers on Harry. No longer was the boy within the boundaries of the wards, and they were dissolving swiftly.<p>

Leaving Minerva McGonagall with the list of things that still needed to be completed; he raced out of the school. Apparating just outside of Number 4 Privet Drive, Dumbledore made his way to the house. Using numerous glamour charms, he was able to hide his unusual look from the muggles that populated the area, but he couldn't stop his magical energy which was beginning to swirl dangerously due to his nervousness.

Knocking politely on the door to the house, Dumbledore waited patiently for an answer. When none came, he became very tempted to magically unlock the door and check on Harry. However, that was not necessary as Petunia Dursley soon enough unlocked and opened the door, before nearly collapsing in fright.

"Good evening Mrs. Dursley, I'm here to speak with you about a certain young boy" Dumbledore said as politely as possible after being forced to wait ten minutes on the doorstep.

"Vernon" was the first thing that escaped the woman's mouth. "We have a visitor."

Coming into the main foyer, a massive unhealthy looking man appeared in Dumbledore's line of sight and the aging wizard immediately felt regret at his decision.

"What do you want?" the fat man asked as he cautiously watched Dumbledore.

"I'm here to inquire about a certain boy left in your care. Harry Potter, to be specific" Dumbledore stated, his eyes twinkling in an attempt to prevent any negative outbursts.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. That worthless runt was shipped off to the orphanage three weeks ago" Vernon stated defiantly. "He's no problem of mine or my family. That freak would've just corrupted our pure household."

As he said this, the Dursley's own child, Dudley, showed up beside his father. He too was unnaturally large, especially for a child his age. Dumbledore shuddered inwardly and was truly regretful for leaving Harry here. However, he was also extremely furious for what had been done to the boy.

"May I please inquire which orphanage Harry was taken to?" Dumbledore asked, his anger slightly bubbling to the surface.

"What business is it of yours?" Vernon retorted, his eyes showing the irritation at being questioned about the boy.

"I was the one who placed him with you. I thought it would be for the best as his Godfather was a criminal and he had no other living relatives. Apparently I was wrong on all accounts" Dumbledore's anger was beginning to show. His tone had grown harsher and his voice louder.

"Who are you?" Vernon asked. "You don't look like any child care worker I've ever met. And why the bloody hell did you have to leave that boy with us. He. Was. A. Freak."

"I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. As I have seen, it was truly a mistake to trust you with the life of that boy. Now please give me the name of the orphanage before I do something you'll regret."

The emotion that was now pouring out of Dumbledore was terrifying the three muggles gathered in the doorway. Soon enough, Dumbledore got the answer he wanted and was once again off.

Apparating in front of the orphanage, the wizard burst in and went directly up to the receptionist. Stopping for a moment and recollecting his composure, he gave the young woman a smile before speaking.

"Good evening miss. I was curious about a boy who was sent here a few weeks ago" Dumbledore said politely, a smile on his face all the time.

"Sure thing, what's his name?" the woman asked.

"His name is Harry Potter" Dumbledore answered.

For a few minutes, the woman skimmed through the numerous files that were gathered before returning her attention to Dumbledore.

"Okay sir, he was just adopted by a certain Geralt Rivers about two days ago. Apparently he is being moved out of the country and will be giving reports to us once a week for the next year" she told him.

Dumbledore paled when he heard that. Harry was out of the country, out where he could be attacked or killed by Voldemort supporters, and with a man whose name was unknown to Dumbledore. Cursing wildly inside his head, the Hogwarts headmaster regretted not watching after Harry himself. He should've taken him with him. The boy would've been safe and truly cared for. Now, there was no knowledge of whether he would be or not.

The woman at the front desk noticed his agitation and was almost tempted to call security before he turned to her, gave a kind smile and thanked her for her time. She returned the pleasantries as he left the building.

* * *

><p>Once outside, Dumbledore apparated back to Hogsmeade and walked back to Hogwarts. He needed to research as much about this Geralt Rivers as he could find. There was no telling whether Harry would be safe with him or not, and Dumbledore blamed himself completely for this turn of events.<p>

"Albus?" McGonagall called out as she saw her friend solemnly enter the school building.

"Oh, hello Minerva, is everything under control?" He asked in a daze.

"Yes it is. However, if it is not too much to ask, may I know what caused you to rush out of the school like that?" she responded.

"Potter is gone from Britain. He was placed into an orphanage and adopted almost immediately. I don't know whether he is with someone safe, or someone who will cause him harm. I'm terribly worried, bothered and upset. I should have never left him with his muggle relatives" Dumbledore began to once again go into a panic before he felt McGonagall's hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down Albus. I'm sure the boy is fine. We'll be able to find him when the Hogwarts letters are sent out. You know that they'll find him no matter where he is" she attempted to comfort him.

"I know you're right Minerva. It's just I have a strange feeling that I've heard the name of the man who adopted Harry, before. Geralt Rivers, an odd name, but nonetheless, I'm in a panic because I need to find out who he really is."

"Well then, I will help as often as I can. Albus, you'll find him. Don't worry yourself too much."

Dumbledore nodded and felt relatively calmer. He was glad to have a friend like McGonagall and allowed himself to calm his mind. Proceeding to his office he started searching his personal library in an attempt to find the name.

'Harry, stay safe' Dumbledore thought as he skimmed over one book. 'I hope to see you soon, so that I can apologize.'

End Prologue

**A/N: Okay, this is the prologue to my first ever Harry Potter fanfic. This is not looked over by a beta and so I hope there is no glaring grammar or spelling errors (granted I think I went wild with commas in certain spots, though they seemed to fit in...I'm not entirely sure). As I mentioned this is my first HP fanfic and it is an AU that plays with some canon elements. I hope that my characterizations of Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Dursleys are not terrible and I hope that I can do well with other characters as well. My OC (if no one caught this) is going to be based off of Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novel series. However, my Witchers are going to have my own twists to them. So it's inspired, but not a crossover with that series. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this prologue; I will be getting to work on the first chapter pretty much after this is posted. Now, as I mentioned this is an AU and will go through a timeskip to the timeline of Goblet of Fire and continue from there. This is the first story in a multipart series (three or four stories) and I promise I will continue this. I will be devoting my attention to this story as I've wanted to enter into a new fandom and this is the start of that. Now, if I don't update for a while, that would mean that I've gotten another fanfic I've been working on off the ground, but for now, this is my focus. Please review if you feel like it, and give me as much constructive criticism as you like (I will take anything, but flames) and I hope you enjoyed the start of this story. Until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer**

**P.S. This is not a super Harry story. He is going to be powerful, but he will have to earn it. Dumb luck will probably define a lot of his actions for a while, but he will earn his strength.**

**P.P.S. As to the pairing of this story, I've got a few ideas, but if anyone wants to make a valid suggestion, by all means go ahead (I just won't write a slash story, so don't ask). I'm currently contemplating three pairings and will hopefully decide on which path to take before the end of the story (though I may make it so that the pairing is not decided until a later date). Anyways, thanks for reading and until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That is all JKR's territory. **

Chapter 1

A fourteen year old Harry Potter wandered somewhat aimlessly around the numerous hallways of France's Beauxbaton School of Magic. His mentor and adoptive father, Geralt Rivers, was busy in the middle of a meeting with Madame Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of the school. Harry wasn't wandering the halls alone though, his recently freed godfather, Sirius Black, had taken to travelling with the two Witchers, partially to stay around the godson he had let down, and partially to stay as far away from the swarming Dementors that were hunting him. Staying in his animagus form of a large Grim, Sirius would follow Harry everywhere he went (partially to keep the boy out of trouble, and partially to encourage him to push his luck just that bit further that would end up getting him into trouble).

"So Snuffles, do you think that Geralt will take up Madame Maxime's offer?" Harry asked the dog following him, using his specific codename to avoid anyone discovering him. "I mean, this offer seems far too good to be true, especially after that last run in with the Irish Elves."

The Grim nodded in agreement. He clearly remembered what had happened when they had been in Ireland only three months ago and also didn't want to repeat the incident that occurred then. Granted that was a common issue with those elves, it really made him miss that terrible house elf of his mother's, Kreacher.

As the two continued wandering the halls, Harry was surprised at how quiet the school was in general. Granted he had only been to two of the smaller and lesser known magic schools, as well as Durmstrang, he had never been in such a quiet building. It was fairly unnerving and he hoped he wouldn't have to spend too much time here.

Coming to a stop in front of the potions classroom, Harry took a deep breath and opened the door. Geralt had gotten him the chance to visit the potions lab of the school from Madame Maxime and Harry was not going to waste this chance. Granted as he stepped in, it was just before a third year class.

"Good morning, Mr. Rivers, correct?" the teacher asked. "It is a pleasure to have you join my class today. I've been told you've developed a great interest in potions."

"Yes, Mademoiselle...?" Harry began, his mind blanching on the teacher's name.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Mademoiselle Pendragon" the woman said kindly. "So, you're the Witcher in training?"

"Yeah, I'm nearly a full one. Well, at least I've nearly finished the transition of my magical core into that of a Witcher" Harry answered, immediately feeling at ease with this teacher.

"That's good for you" the woman said with a smile. "Now, I hope you don't mind that you were only able to make it into a third year class, especially with your rumoured skills, but I thought it would be great if you could help explain some of the finer points to a few struggling students?"

Harry's eyes lit up as he was asked and he readily agreed. Allowing himself to be shown a seat to take, he got settled and awaited the start of the class, Sirius laying down right next to him. After five minutes, the first few students started to trickle into the classroom. It was clear that more girls attended this school than boys when the majority of those coming in wore the light blue outfit of for the female members of the school. It wasn't long afterwards that the entirety of the class was there and Harry spotted a familiar blonde from among the crowd.

"So Gabrielle is in this year? She never mentioned it before...granted she didn't mention her age either" Harry mumbled to Sirius as he stroked his head.

Sirius seemed to agree with the boy; however before he could do anything, Mademoiselle Pendragon stood up and started the class.

* * *

><p>"Harry" Gabrielle Delacour called out after the class, leaping at him and wrapping her arms around his waist.<p>

"Hello Gabby" Harry began as he briefly returned the hug. "It's great to see you. How are you and Fleur?"

Gabrielle didn't say anything as she squeezed Harry tighter. It wasn't until Sirius barked at her that she let go and her face was numerous shades of scarlet.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited to have you here. By the way, why are you here?" the thirteen year old asked.

"Geralt was given a request by Madame Maxime. I don't know what it's about, but hopefully it will be a less stressful job then the last one we did" Harry told her.

"Oh, at lunch, you must find me and we'll talk all about that. I want to know exactly what went on" Gabrielle said excitedly, though she was trying her hardest to sound like a well trained young lady.

Harry chuckled at that and gave her a bow and a promise that he would make sure that Geralt didn't leave till after he had a chance to speak with her in depth. After saying that, an excited Gabrielle ran down the hallway towards her next class.

Harry was about to go back to the Headmistress' office when Mademoiselle Pendragon stopped him.

"Mr. Rivers, would you like to sit in on another few classes. You were such a great help at this one, that I really want you to be here for the seventh and fifth year classes" she said, a gentle smile on her face.

Harry's eyes were wide with excitement at the request. Agreeing readily, he returned to the classroom for the next classes.

* * *

><p>It was lunchtime before Harry managed to get a break. Letting out a sigh of relief he walked down towards the great hall (as Mademoiselle Pendragon had given him the directions) and was about to enter when he felt someone's arms wrap around him.<p>

"Harry, how have you been?" a female voice asked as Harry let out a small yelp.

"Fine, just don't sneak up on me like that Fleur. Geralt will have my head in training for the next two months if he realised you managed that" Harry pleaded teasingly.

"Well, if you don't want me around, I could always leave you alone with Gabrielle" Fleur told him, releasing her grip and starting to leave.

"Wait, don't leave alone with her. I have to discuss my most recent job, I already promised her, but I don't want her to go all fangirl on me...not again" Harry begged as Fleur began walking away. "I'm truly sorry. I love your presence, hell I adore it, just don't leave me alone with your sister."

This stopped Fleur, and chuckling, the seventh year student walked back to Harry and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Good, now let's go meet up with Gabrielle. I too want to hear about this last job of yours, especially since you didn't write to us at all."

Harry smiled as he walked back into the great hall.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Madame Maxime for employing my services. We shall remain at the school at get to know some of the possible champions so they won't be as uncomfortable with us being around them when we head to Hogwarts" Geralt said politely.<p>

His meeting with the Half-Giant Headmistress of Beauxbatons had not gone as well as he had hoped. She was a stubborn woman who was always trying to make everything work to her advantage. It was a very irritating, yet also an endearing trait, but when it came to her practically asking the Witchers to help the school champion cheat, everything nearly fell apart.

However, that was now in the past as Geralt made his way to get some food. They had agreed to allow the Witchers to watch over the champion, but cheating was not going to occur in the slightest. It was a hard fought for position, but in the end they finally managed to work everything out.

For that reason, Geralt was now free to wander the school as he searched for his adopted son (and his student). Making his way down to the main floor, he knew he had found Harry when he caught sight of the two Delacour girls.

"Good afternoon you three" he called out, startling Fleur and Gabrielle. "It's a pleasure to see you two here today."

"You know we attend this school. So, what are you talking about?" the younger girl asked with a teasing smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I forgot for a moment that you had grown up, young lady" Geralt stated specifically to irritate the young blonde.

Fleur had to stifle her early giggles and attempt to remain as passive and cool as possible while Geralt and Gabrielle teased one another. Ever since their parents had introduced them to the two Witchers, Gabrielle had treated Geralt like an Uncle and a part of her family. Fleur was a bit less trusting that way, but the older man was making his way to that same point for her.

Harry on the other hand had to bite his hand in an attempt to prevent his laughter. His adoptive father and Gabrielle could go for hours if left alone and it was starting to look like that would be the case as students passed them by with nervous looks on their faces as Gabrielle started to turn red.

"Geralt, I think you've picked on her enough today" Harry said as soon as he felt the room heating up. "I believe you're going to cause her to blow if you don't stop."

Geralt smirked as Harry spoke and immediately shut up. Walking away from the fuming Veela, he beckoned for Harry to follow him into the next room. Harry, obliging his mentor, excused himself and followed after the man.

Upon entering the classroom, Geralt motioned towards a seat and Harry subsequently filled it. Staring began between the two men after that and it took five minutes before Geralt spoke.

"We're to be joining the seventh year Beauxbatons students on their trip to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. You and I are going to be a form of security for the champion of the school" Geralt stated as he continued to watch for Harry's reaction.

"Madame Maxime asked us to cheat for her, didn't she?" Harry asked after a few moments. "It's the only reasonable explanation, seeing as you're still quite frustrated with the whole event. I mean you never provoke Gabby that much."

Geralt smiled wryly as Harry spoke. His apprentice was doing well in his observation skills. It was a great start and would prove to be quite useful once he had his full powers.

"Exactly, now, she still believes that we will provide assistance for the champion of this school, but I want to make it clear here and now. We shall not interfere with the tournament itself. We are security for the champion and that is it."

Harry nodded in understanding. He would rather not get on Geralt's bad side, and it was wrong to cheat your way through a tournament of this level. In response to Harry's acknowledgement, Sirius reverted from his canine form and sat down at the table as well.

"So how are you going to split up the security detail? I mean, Harry and I could easily watch over the champion while you watch over the others, or are we going to set this up differently?" Sirius questioned as he settled into his seat.

"No, I was actually thinking along the same lines as you" Geralt replied. "It would be best for you two, who are less intimidating then me, to stay near the champion. He or she will be a lot more comfortable with someone closer to their age. At least that was how it worked the last time we were on security detail."

Nervous chuckles trickled out of Harry and Sirius as they reflected on that event. It wasn't a pretty sight and it was quite irritating. Especially since they were hired to protect one of the nastiest and ugliest witches in Britain (at least while she was in Spain two summers ago). Harry had ended up with a stalker and was still trying to make sure her owls couldn't reach him. That wasn't even to include the fact that upon meeting the girl, most of those who had been hired to kidnap her wanted nothing to do with the job. Subsequently, this left Harry alone far too often with the witch.

"So, we'll just make sure that Harry doesn't cause them to fall in love with him. At least as long as it isn't that wonderful Delacour girl" Sirius stated with a smirk.

"I don't like her in that way" Harry tried to defend himself, but knew upon seeing the two smirking adults that there was no way he could win. "Alright fine, but if it's anyone else, Snuffles here will have to deal with them."

Sirius started laughing lightly as Harry finished. Turning to look at Geralt, the other man was also chuckling slightly at the young man. Letting out an irritated sigh, Harry turned around and proceeded to exit the room. Laughter followed behind him as he stepped out.

* * *

><p>In the weeks leading up to the departure from Beauxbatons, Harry continued to appear within the potions class and he was soon being looked to for just as much assistance as the regular teacher (at least from the first through third years). It had proven to be a very fruitful way for him to spend his time as they day for their departure drew closer. His training with Geralt and Sirius also took up a lot of his time as they became comfortable with the French School's grounds.<p>

However, when it came time for them to depart alongside the possible Beauxbatons champions, Harry was very nervous. This was the first time he would be back in England, the first time he would be at the school his birth parents attended. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to calm his nerves. Sirius must have noticed Harry's apprehension as he (in his animagus form) pushed his nose into one of the boy's hands, encouraging him to go forwards. Following the insistence of his Godfather, Harry made his way to the front of the group, standing tall alongside Geralt.

"Now, remember the rules. Don't do anything stupid, don't flirt with any of the Hogwarts girls...you're not ready to start acting like me in some aspects, and don't you dare even think about interrupting me when I have wards around my door" Geralt whispered, a small smirk on his face.

"So, I pretty much obey every rule except for the first one...in other words, I just ignore everything you just said?" Harry asked mischievously, a crooked smile on his face.

"Exactly, now here comes our ride" Geralt replied with a smile. Harry was truly starting to understand exactly what it meant to be his apprentice.

"Everyone please board the carriage in a single file line" Madame Maxime ordered as the gathered students entered the recently arrived carriage.

Following her instructions, Harry fell into a position beside Geralt as they watched the students and faculty board the carriage. Catching sight of Fleur further down the line, Harry gave her a quick nod of acknowledgement which was subsequently returned with a smile. Feeling fairly settled after that, the two men and the grim boarded after the others had, closing the doors behind them.

* * *

><p>The trip to Hogwarts was uneventful. No one really talked to the two Witchers; however Sirius did get a lot more attention than was absolutely necessary. Numerous times throughout the trip Harry and Geralt would make snide and sarcastic comments about the animagus as he accepted all the attention. The lack of conversation towards the hired guards allowed them to just observe. An action that Geralt had forced Harry to take part in as soon as he turned seven, allowing him to play a role in all missions. They needed to know all they could about these students without getting to personal. It was never good for a Witcher to get personal with someone they were supposed to protect, or someone they were attempting to heal.<p>

Nearly four hours after they had taken off though, the magnificent castle of Hogwarts was visible to the numerous students aboard the carriage. Harry took a moment to look out the window at the sight and felt his nerves flare up once again. He was nearing the school his birth parents attended. The school he would have attended if it had not been for Geralt adopting him. Feeling his eyes begin to focus again behind his glasses, Harry could make out numerous shapes on the field below, it looked as if the entirety of the school was awaiting their arrival.

With a soft crashing sound, the carriage came to a stop on the field outside the castle. In a couple of swift movements, the two Witchers had already opened the door and prepared it for the school's exit.

As they did this, Harry felt like someone was keeping a close eye on him and shuddered slightly. It wasn't due to malicious intent, just, well, the intensity of the stare he felt was very unnerving and unsettling. Like they were trying to discover who or what exactly he was.

Turning around Harry realised that it was Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Preventing a shiver from the thought of having been seen through already, he was thankfully saved by Geralt assisting Madame Maxime down the steps.

'She's got us working like servants' Harry thought bitterly as he watched the large woman walk up to Dumbledore. 'I think it's a form of punishment for not agreeing to help her cheat.'

Smirking at that thought, Harry was soon brought back to reality with the feel of a wet nose on his hand. Turning his attention to the front, he realised that he and Geralt were being introduced.

"These here are the two bodyguards I have brought with us" Madame Maxime said. "I would like to introduce to you Geralt Rivers and his apprentice Harrison Rivers."

Dumbledore's eyes widened upon hearing the names and Harry had a strong feeling that he knew who he was. Letting out an irritated groan, the boy stepped forwards alongside his adoptive father.

"It is our pleasure to be here on the grounds of Hogwarts. Not many of our kind have ever been allowed to see within its halls" Geralt began. "I hope you will not find us too distracting as we conduct our jobs."

Harry gave his agreement to Geralt's statement, marking the formal beginning of their assignment. Dumbledore seemed to acknowledge their statements and beckoned for the entirety of Beauxbatons to enter into the school.

Nervously, Harry followed after the others as they proceeded into the school. He had no idea what to expect once he made it through those doors.

End Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so here is chapter 1 of the story. I'm still testing the waters so this may not be my best writing ever (yet), but I am working to that point. As is clear due to this chapter, Harry has an interest in potions and already knows the Delacours. So, I did say that I wasn't revealing a pairing yet, but as many of the readers who have read my other stories (you know who you are), they would know that I don't always (rarely) keep to those statements. I have a tendency to let my imagination flow...and that's why I am a writer in the first place. Anyways, this chapter was hard as I was trying to figure out a decent way to get Harry to Hogwarts, I tried four different variations before settling on this one as it allowed for me to build a storyline that I am going to feel proud of. Now, with my final exams for grade school coming to an end, I will be moving my computer out of the family office and into my own room, so updates should come more frequently. Oh and if you notice that I have not updated in a while, that would be due to the fact that I have been distracted by another story I plan on writing. Ideas keep bouncing through my head, but I'm going to try to get a good chunk of this story done before I move on to starting another. I hope to be in this fandom for a while at the least, I've even contemplated starting a new profile specifically for my new choices in fandoms (if anyone wants to let me know if that would be a good idea or not, please PM me or leave a review with your opinion). So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will speak to you all again in the next one. Please leave a review if it suits you and until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer**

**P.S. Okay, so I believe I've already made it clear that this is AU, but if I haven't...this is an AU story. I will explain in later chapters why Harry is already friends with the Delacours and why Sirius is travelling with them, but for now, just remember that this is AU. Okay then, thanks for your understanding and until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, at all. So don't ask. **

**Beta: Touhoufanatic**

Chapter 2

Stepping through the doors to Hogwarts was like entering another world. Sure, Harry had seen many supposedly lost civilizations, and he had encountered creatures that most magical beings never would. However, it was the fact that he was one of the only Witchers ever allowed to set foot in this school that instilled him with so much awe and respect.

As the shock started to wear off, Geralt beckoned for Harry to follow him into the great hall. Obliging the older man, Harry followed behind at a decent pace and was rewarded with an almost unimpeded view of the charmed roof of the hall. A gasp left his lips as he took in the sight. Geralt left him during this time to go gather their seats at the staff table, allowing Harry to take in as much of the magic as he wanted to.

Realising that he was alone with Sirius; Harry rushed over to where Geralt was already seated. Preparing to sit down, Harry was interrupted by a harsh and taunting voice.

"Mr. Rivers, I do believe that this table is only for the staff. Now, I hope you have a reason for attempting to sit here."

Turning around, Harry came face to face with a fairly tall man with dark, greasy, hair and a hooked nose. Immediately, his mind went to work as he tried to place the man's name. Finally placing it, his eyes lit up in excitement.

"You're Professor Severus Snape," Harry exclaimed in awe. "The potions master here."

A sneer appeared on the man's face and his eyes hardened as he took a good look at Harry; but, before he could say anything, Geralt intervened.

"This boy is not who you think he is professor, so I would hope that you could refrain from doing anything humiliating while in public."

The cold tone in Geralt's voice was enough to stop whatever comment Snape had building, but the other man efficiently attempted to get the upper hand.

"My apologies witcher," Snape said, disdain oozing out of his voice. "I meant no offense, but wouldn't it be better if young Mr. Rivers sat with people closer to his own age? Get to know some of those that he'll be around for the rest of the year?"

"An excellent idea Snape," Geralt hissed. "Why don't you go sit with some of the students here Harry. It will probably be for the best."

Harry quickly grasped onto the hidden message that was being conveyed and left the area. If a fight broke out in there, he didn't want to be anywhere close to the center of it. As such, he soon found himself making his way towards one of the four tables spread out in the hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry's eyes skimmed over the four tables as he stepped away from the staff table. The Beauxbatons students had all gravitated towards the Ravenclaw table, if his knowledge of the house sigils was right, while the Durmstrang had gravitated towards the Slytherin ones. Looking for any sign of Fleur, Harry was disappointed to find that she was within a fair sized crowd at the Ravenclaw table. Ruling out joining her, he began to move towards an empty spot at one of the other tables.

Sitting down at the end of one table, he looked at the collection of food and began to fill his plate. Even though he was unable to sit with the staff, which he was technically part of, or anyone he knew, which counted for one person, Harry was going to make the best of this situation. Munching on a fresh bun, the teen entered a state of reverie. It was rare that he was able to eat freshly baked bread.

"Hello there," a feminine voice said, startling him out of his thoughts.

Looking for the origin of the voice, he sidled to his right when he found a redheaded girl sitting extremely close to him. Her deep scarlet hair was tied in a plait down her back, and the girl's sapphire eyes and wide grin hid some sort of sinister intent, or so Harry thought as he created distance between the two of them.

"Hello," he finally replied, attempting to bring back all of his Witcher training. "And who might you be?"

"The name's Susan," she said, extending her right hand. "And yours?"

"Harry, my name's Harry," the Witcher-in-training said as he tentatively shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry. First time at Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded his head, dumbfounded by the friendliness of the girl. It was suspicious and he knew that she was up to something. However, with the pleasantness of her body language and expressions, he couldn't figure out what it was for the life of him.

"Well, I hope you enjoy. Oh, I'm sorry; you came off of the Beauxbatons carriage. Can you speak English, or am I losing you?"

Susan's eyes widened further as she tilted her head. Harry had to swallow nervously as his face started to heat up. Her actions were adorable, and he wasn't sure how to describe what she was doing to him. He needed to answer her question, but he was also very suspicious. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise to find that he was being targeted already. Geralt had suffered a similar situation with a pretty blonde in Italy about a year back. Granted, he was more prepared, and had plenty of potions to help.

"I speak English fluently," he finally said.

"Wonderful! It's nice to meet you Harry and I hope we can become chums," she said quickly.

Extending her hand again, Harry shook it slowly; his suspicion still very high. A jolt spread through his body as he did and he released his grip swiftly. Clutching it to his chest, he looked at the girl, whose head was tilted quizzically again.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Uh," Harry eloquently replied, "y-yeah, everything's fine."

"Good. Well, I'll see you around Harry," she said, a grin upon her face.

Standing up, the girl walked a few feet down the length of the table and plopped herself beside a blonde with very soft features. Giggling soon burst from Susan, and Harry was left even more confused than before. Even with all the training that he had from Geralt, he had no idea what had just happened.

"She got a mental image of every inch of your body," a male voice said.

Turning to the speaker, Harry found an older boy standing behind him. A decent height with handsome features, the boy was probably one of Hogwarts' pretty boys. Or so Harry thought. Sirius had told him a lot about Hogwarts' reputation amongst the magical schools. While Beauxbatons had the gorgeous girls, and Durmstrang had the warriors, Hogwarts was the school of the gorgeous boys. At the time, Harry had wanted to ask why his godfather would say that, but then he had been shown an image of his father, who he resembled greatly, and had a hard time arguing Sirius' claim.

"Hi," he finally said. "What was that about a mental image of my body?"

Sitting down, the older boy grinned at Harry.

"You just had an encounter with the biggest pervert in the entirety of Hogwarts. I've had to stop her boxer raids twice in the past four weeks alone."

"Boxer raids?"

"Yes, similar to the panty raids of old, only this time aimed at the underwear of the school's male population," the boy said, chuckling.

"By the way, I'm Cedric; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Harry, and likewise."

The two young men shook hands, Harry feeling a lot more comfortable around Cedric than he had Susan.

"The scan of your body was just for her personal pleasure, so don't worry too much about it. Susan's relatively harmless. And if she continues to harass you, take it as a term of endearment. Growing up under the care of the head of magical law enforcement has warped her in ways we couldn't begin to fathom," Cedric said with a grin.

"If that's what being the child of law enforcement does to someone, I'm glad I was never one," Harry grumbled; unsure of how to feel about his body being used for an unknown girl's self-pleasure. Granted, he was now able to identify who the girl was.

Not that he was completely innocent of using his mental images of a girl for his own pleasure; a brief flash of Fleur entering his mind. Pushing that thought away, he returned his attention to the young man speaking with him.

"I know that look Harry," Cedric teased. "You've got someone of your own, don't you mate?"

"Uh," Harry said, just as eloquently as when Susan had caught him off guard.

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me," Cedric said with a laugh. "Although I do suggest eating your food before the headmaster starts to speak."

"Why's that? It doesn't even look like the staff table's anywhere near done," Harry said.

"They're not, but once they are, Professor Dumbledore will command your full attention. He just has a certain way with words; or, a very strong compulsion spell."

Harry chuckled at Cedric's comment. The young man was very easy to get along with, and Harry was glad that someone, other than the pervert girl, had decided to speak with him. Spending most of his time on the road, searching for jobs so that they could continue living, Harry didn't make very many friends. However, Cedric seemed like someone he would like to befriend, so Harry decided he'd actually make the effort.

"Excited for the tournament?" he asked after a few moments of eating.

Cedric looked up from the plate he had just filled and gave a sly grin.

"Absolutely, I've been anticipating since it was announced at the start of the semester."

Harry laughed at that, and the two settled into comfortable conversation as the dinner continued.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Geralt's eyes were narrowed and focused on Snape for the entirety of dinner. He had very little patience for the man after how he had treated Harry. Even though Snape was right about who the boy was, that didn't give him any reason to treat Harry that way; especially when Harry was absolutely ecstatic to meet the man.

"Mr. Rivers, how has it been, being one of the only witchers to set foot inside this hallowed school?" Fillius Flitwick asked; drawing Geralt's attention away from Snape.

"So far it's been quite nice," Geralt answered as diplomatically as possible.

He wasn't pleased with the treatment that they had been receiving so far. There were far too many suspicious glances being directed at him, and at Harry; who was now sitting at the far end of the Hufflepuff table. Just because they didn't carry wands, use the same magic, or make a living in the way that the rest of the magical society deemed 'natural' didn't make them monsters.

Geralt had to fight back a chuckle at that thought. His time with Harry had softened him. After all, they were monsters; just not the type that the ministries of the world thought they were. However, Harry needed to interact with other people; enduring the company of only two lonely old men, as much as Sirius would argue the fact, did not bode too well for the boy's future.

"Fillius, Mr. Rivers seems to be in the midst of watching over the Beauxbatons students, as per his job," Albus Dumbledore said. "I think it may be best if we let him focus on his task. Dinner is almost over and we will have plenty of time to speak with the man up until June."

The diminutive professor relented and Geralt forced himself to focus on the Beauxbatons students. Gathered at the Ravenclaw table, they were interacting pleasantly with the Hogwarts students. Thankfully, that meant that Geralt didn't have too much to worry about right then. Rather, he would probably be pushed even further into his duties the next day when the tournament 'officially' started. It would also give Harry some time to interact with the other students. The boy really did need friends closer to his age.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dinner finished as Harry and Cedric were talking about the Hogwarts curriculum. Harry was interested in what was taught to the wizards and witches at the school, having heard a lot about what his godfather had gone through in school he wanted to compare. To his pleasure, Cedric was more than willing to chat about the courses he took and what he knew of some of his friend's courses.

In return, Harry told him about some of his travels. Having been across Europe and into some of Asia, he had a lot to say. However, before he could get too into one adventure he had, accidentally, ended up on in Turkey, Dumbledore stood up.

"Now that everyone has eaten, I have some important information for all of you," he said.

Harry and Cedric's conversations stopped and they focused on the garishly dressed headmaster. It was quite true that his voice commanded attention, as Harry picked out numerous other students watching intently.

"I welcome all of you to Hogwarts and hope that our guests will enjoy their stay. As we are hosting the Triwizard Tournament, there is some housekeeping I must get out of the way…"

Dumbledore's words trailed on, and Harry barely registered anything the man said at that point. He remembered something about the forest being forbidden, but other than that, he didn't clue in to what Dumbledore was telling them until the Goblet of Fire was pulled out.

"Gorgeous," Harry gasped out as he stared at the magical object.

"So Ms. Bones scared you, but you'll gush over a magical object," Cedric teased; having heard what Harry said.

His face flushing, Harry tore his attention away from the goblet. If there was anything other than potions that could get, and hold, his attention it was magical objects. In specific, he was fascinated with cursed objects.

"The working of these objects intrigues me. There's something about getting an object like a goblet to be permanently enchanted that…"

Harry began babbling for a moment, but was quickly, and gratefully, cut off by Dumbledore resuming his speech.

"Now, only those who are of age, 17, may enter their names into the goblet. To ensure that those not of age don't attempt to get in, an age line will be set."

Groans echoed through the hall, two students at one of the other tables in particular seemed to be disappointed by the information. Harry just smirked, as he had already known about the age requirement. That was the reason that all the students who had come to Hogwarts were of age.

"You knew," Cedric whispered. "You knew, didn't you?"

"And that's an issue why?" Harry inquired.

"It's not; you just have a very smug grin on your face."

Cedric shrugged as he spoke, grinning at Harry innocently.

"So, you're not of age then?"

"Oh, I am. It's just that I've never seen someone new to the school look so smug, even after getting a tongue lashing from Professor Snape."

"You saw that…"

Harry groaned at the thought. He had never been given that much contempt from a professor before and hoped that he wouldn't have to face it again. Sure, even at Beauxbatons there had been professors who didn't like his, or Geralt's, presence, but they were never as rude about it as Snape had been. As he thought about it though, there were plenty of people in Eastern Europe who held nothing, but disdain for the two of them.

"Yeah, though no one knows what he said," Cedric said. "It just looks like another Snape-fit, as we've been given for the past three years."

"Yeah, he seemed to be PMS-ing about the fact that Harry Potter never showed up."

Harry squeaked in surprise as he found Susan once again in his immediate vicinity. Her giggles at his sound did not go unnoticed, but he prayed that she wouldn't say anything about it. Geralt would destroy him in their next training session if word got out to him.

"Hello Susan, staying out of trouble I hope?" Cedric inquired, drawing the redhead's attention away from Harry.

"Of course Ced; what could I possibly be doing at the feast?"

Her look of innocence was so forced; Harry felt that whatever it was that she had been doing… well, he'd rather not know. Cedric seemed to believe the same thing, as his face fell into his palm; his head shaking in disbelief.

"Susan, don't do anything stupid this year, please," he requested. "Last year was enough."

"Alright, alright," the girl said as she distanced herself from the two. "I won't do anything tonight."

Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him as she said that. He wasn't sure what she had done before, but he wasn't eager to find out. The girl had already invaded his personal space twice, and he didn't want to have it happen again; at least if he could prevent it.

"So, Ced, are you entering your name?" Susan asked, taking the conversation away from her troublemaking.

"I do plan on it, at least if I get a chance," Cedric answered. "Even if I don't get to participate, the fact that I entered should please my father."

"Oh poo," Susan grumbled. "Do you do everything to please your father?"

Cedric scowled at Susan, but hid it quickly. Putting back on a pleasant smile Cedric began harassing Susan about her aunt, the girl pushing back with her own stories. Feeling out of the loop, Harry looked towards the staff table, and was thankful that Geralt was getting up and approaching him. The man moved discreetly, keeping the attention off of himself, and headed out of the door. Knowing exactly what that meant, Harry excused himself.

"Meet me at breakfast Harry," Cedric whispered, "I'll introduce you to some people and show you around the castle, if you're not busy that is."

"Shouldn't be until after the champions are chosen," Harry replied. "I'll see you then."

Cedric nodded before returning to his argument with Susan, who was looking suitably cowed down; especially when Cedric mentioned something about her foray into the boys' dorms and a floo call to her aunt. Harry chuckled at the sight, moving away from the table as discreetly as he could and heading out into the hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fleur watched as the two witchers exited the hall. Although they kept attention off of themselves as they exited, that hadn't prevented the Beauxbatons student from noticing their departure. She had been paying close attention to Harry since he was sent away from the staff table. Actually, she had hoped that he would have come and joined her once he had been sent away, but understood why he had gravitated towards the emptier seats at one of the other tables. Even if she didn't try, crowds tended to surround her.

It had bothered her when he had ended up speaking with two of the Hogwarts students; especially the redheaded girl who seemed to be pressing up to him quite tightly. However, Fleur's attention had been drawn away by a charming witch at the table by the name of Cho. This had kept her distracted from watching all of Harry's interactions as dinner progressed.

Now that the feast and announcements were ending, she hoped that she could catch him before turning in for the night. However, a glare from Madame Maxime kept her from moving from her seat. The headmistress didn't seem to like the witchers very much, something must have happened in the negotiations that had gone on, and Fleur was going to suffer for whatever it was. Or, that was what she mused as she tried to get comfortable in her seat.

She didn't have to sit for long as Dumbledore dismissed the students relatively soon afterwards. Rising almost unanimously, the students began to filter out of the hall. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang headed back outside, returning to the carriage and ship respectively. As they left, Fleur couldn't find Harry or Geralt anywhere, and her curiosity almost got the better of her.

"Stay in line," one of her classmates hissed at her.

Turning a fearsome glare on the girl, Fleur had to admit to being mildly impressed at her indifference to the look. However, before the two of them could get into a spat, Madame Maxime spoke up.

"This is our first night in a different country, and though we are guaranteed protection while on the school grounds, I would expect all of you to stay within the carriage after curfew."

The headmistress' booming voice carried over all of the gathered students.

"Don't do anything to endanger yourselves, or the school's reputation," she continued. "We are the best and brightest of magical France; make sure you live up to that."

All of those gathered gave their affirmation, and were then let into the carriage. Proceeding to her shared room, Fleur slipped in before the others and changed into her nightwear. Slipping into bed, she determined to find Harry early in the morning. She knew his schedule and would be there before his daily training ended. It wasn't often one got to watch a witcher after all.

**End Chapter 2**

**A/N: It's been an extremely long time since I last updated this story. Heck, it's been a long time since I updated anything, but I am still alive and this story is still moving forwards. I have nothing to say about the long delay other than 'Real Life' and even that hasn't been much of an excuse. I've just not been very motivated to do as much writing as I had been and I'm working on breaking out of that. And this is the start of it, so to any readers who read and/or follow a lot of my other works: updates are coming. **

**Now, I hope that this chapter is enjoyable and that any thoughts and opinions will be left in the reviews or in a PM. I appreciate any attention this gets and will be eager to continue writing and posting once again. Until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or the Witcher franchises. **

**Chapter 3**

Sweat dripped off of Harry's body as he stared down his opponent. He had been rudely woken up at four in the morning and forced outside for an impromptu training session; one that Geralt was determined to get him to complete before their focus was needed on the champion of Beauxbatons. He was expected to master the Quen sign, and so far he was doing pretty poorly.

Bruises covered his body from Geralt's strikes and Harry was hard pressed to keep up with his mentor. Even though they were both using practice blades, Harry was still learning how to get comfortable with the weight. For that reason, his reaction times were slower than Geralt's and it showed in the number of blows he suffered.

"Focus Harry, you can't use your signs without focusing," the older man commanded. "Forget about the blade for a moment."

Harry tried, but he found that his mind kept drifting back to focusing on Geralt's movements. He was nervous, and it was preventing him from relaxing enough to taste the power of the sign. Casting a sign was always difficult the first time. Once a witcher had cast it, they would be able to use it subsequently with little effort. It was like muscle memory. It became ingrained into them, and they were able to incorporate it into the rest of their combat style.

"Yow!"

A cry of pain escaped from Harry as he felt Geralt's blunted blade smack into his side: again. His thoughts must have drifted off too far. Clutching at the throbbing spot on his abdomen, Harry fought back a string of curses.

"I said focus, not daydream!"

"Yes sir!"

Harry quickly recovered himself and got back into position. Drawing on his magical core, he focused on the Quen sign. He knew how to perform it and what it would do for him, now he just had to apply it. Opening his eyes, he watched Geralt approach, blade flashing in the sunrise, and forced the sign to work.

The blade came down with a crack on Harry's training armour and he crumpled under the pressure. However, there was no pain. Instead, Harry was struggling under the weight of his mentor's blow, not the pain from it.

Tearing his arms upwards; Harry's own training blade crashed into Geralt's and forced it far enough up that the teen was able to stand. Clambering to his feet, Harry readied himself for the next blow. Now that he had cast the Quen sign once, Geralt was going to force him to use it as many times as he possibly could.

"Good, you're all ready to go," the older man said. "Now, this time, we'll be using it in a sparring match. Prepare yourself!"

Holding his sword in a combat position, Harry nodded in understanding. It was going to be a long morning, and he would make sure that Geralt was just as tired as he was by the end of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was nearly eight in the morning by the time that Harry stumbled into the great hall to get some breakfast. Students from all three schools were mulling about, the day being a weekend and all. Halloween celebrations would be starting soon, and Harry could already identify a slight change in the hall from the night before. October 31st never left a good taste in his mouth though; his parents had died on that night to protect him. Their act had led to his first few years with the Dursleys, and he was ever thankful that Geralt rescued him from them; even if he was in an orphanage at the time.

"Harry, come over here."

Cedric's voice drew Harry out of his thoughts. Looking over towards where the boy was seated; Harry grinned and started towards him. Taking the open seat across from the seventeen-year-old, Harry was pleased to see that there was still a large selection of breakfast options.

"They keep the breakfast topped up for an extra couple of hours on weekends," Cedric said jovially. "There are many stragglers. Actually, you should expect it to get pretty busy in about an hour."

"Yes, and I know there are a few girls who want to speak with you," Susan added.

Once again, Harry leapt a distance away. Somehow, Susan was continually managing to sneak up on him. That, or she had been there from the start and he hadn't noticed her. He really hoped it was the second option as Geralt would be putting him through the basics again if he found out.

"Good morning Susan," Cedric said. "Did Hannah enjoy the stories you had to tell her last night?"

Susan groaned at the mention of the other girl.

"Who's Hannah?" Harry asked.

"My best friend," Susan mumbled. "Actually, we claim we're best friends, but she's more of a parole officer than anything else."

Harry looked confused at the statement; more so due to Susan using very muggle terms, than the fact that her best friend was the equivalent of her parole officer. After all he had heard the night before, there was very little doubt in his mind that she was a havoc to everyone she interacted with. Though, he couldn't deny the charm he found in that sort of personality trait. Refocusing, he decided that searching out the reason for why she used muggle terms was not the intent of the moment, so pushed the thought aside.

"Hannah and I are kind of responsible for keeping Susan from being expelled. She's a wild spirit and has a tendency to cross all the boundaries set before her," Cedric said. "Actually, in her second year she nearly got expelled for creeping on the Defense teacher."

"Professor Lockhart was hot, what am I to do about that?"

Susan's complaint earned laughs from the two boys. Harry was finding the dynamics of the two Hogwarts students to be enjoyable. They were lively and friendly, two things he wasn't completely used to; travelling the world left little time for friendships after all. The fact that he had maintained his friendships with Fleur and Gabrielle was a testament to his effort though, and right now Cedric and Susan seemed like people he would want to keep that same thing with. At least, in Susan's case, if she could stop sneaking up on him.

"Now come on, you need to eat breakfast so that we can give you the tour," the redhead demanded. "Sit, sit, eat, eat."

Her thin hand wrapped around his own and Harry found himself pulled onto the seat beside her. He soon found a plate loaded with different, sweet looking, breakfast foods placed in front of him. Tentatively digging in, the teen was stunned by the flavour. Out on the road as often as he was, fast food places were about the best that he would eat at. The worst was devouring a granola bar and claiming that it was enough to fill him for a day, or two; depending on their money situation.

To be eating such sweet, and rich, breakfast foods was a new experience. Even when they stayed with the Delacour family, they didn't eat anything this fancy.

"You like?" Susan asked; her blue eyes once again wide with curiosity.

"Mhmm," Harry replied.

"Good. Now, let's get going before Hannah decides to come and drag me away. Ced's not getting you all to himself for the tour. Not when his lovely girlfriend will start getting the wrong idea about things," Susan declared.

"Cho's not going to think anything of it," Cedric grumbled as he finished his food. "Not unless you've started feeding rumours to the student body again?"

"Not at all," Susan replied cheerily. "Now get moving."

Cedric and Harry clambered out of their seats and followed after the redhead as she made her way to exit the great hall. Neither wanted to be left behind; especially Harry, who had yet to learn the lay of the land.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A startled Fleur couldn't believe that she had slept in. Even though she had no intention of getting up ridiculously early, she couldn't believe that it was already nine in the morning. Harry was probably already up and moving by this point and she had missed out on her chance to see him sparring.

Even though she projected an air of cold indifference to most of those she interacted with, a necessity due to being of veela blood, Harry provided her with a chance to release the mask and be a normal young woman. No one quite understood why, and Geralt had discussed far too many possibilities for her to be certain, Harry was relatively immune to hers and her younger sister's allure. This made him a very sociable and enjoyable young man to interact with.

In all truth, he was probably her best friend. Unlike Gabrielle, Fleur struggled to befriend those around her. Somehow, her baby sister was capable of containing her allure; a skill only full veela were supposed to be able to master. It made her jealous, as her sister was exhibiting powers that only her grandmother had shown before. She had even been able to make friends who didn't abandon her when her veela powers started to show up.

However, to her pleasure, Harry spent more time around her. It gave her a feeling of importance and acceptance that she didn't find among her classmates. It also gave her one-up on Gabrielle. As much as she loved the girl, Harry provided a friendship that she desperately needed. He didn't judge her, and he was completely accepting of her nature. Granted, rumours were that he was also a half-breed; an effect of becoming a witcher.

Racing out of her quarters, the quarter-veela decided that she'd attempt to find Harry at breakfast. Students from all the schools were given full access to the Hogwarts Great Hall during meals and she assumed that Harry would be taking advantage of that. Though neither he, nor Geralt, said much about it; she could tell that they usually didn't eat very well while out on the road. The Hogwarts food would definitely be tempting. Especially since the headmistress was kind of cheap and determined to not bring their own food supplies; instead relying on the hospitality of Hogwarts to feed the sixty-three students and the staff.

Stopping only momentarily to check her appearance in one of the mirrors in the carriage's halls, Fleur proceeded towards the exit. Stepping out into the fresh air, she found that the temperature was quite pleasant for the end of October. The sun was shining in the sky, and not a cloud was in sight. Even the cool breeze wasn't too strong or too weak. However, Fleur barely paid any of that attention as she searched for any sign of Harry on the grounds.

Finding none, she determined that he was probably inside the castle. Entering, she headed into the Great Hall, only to find him once again with the redheaded girl hanging off of him. A wave of jealousy cut through her, but she fought it down. It wouldn't do to act jealous around him. She had a reputation to uphold amongst her school, and acting jealous over anyone was not part of it. It would provide too much for her enemies to use against her, and she would not allow that.

The fact that he was a witcher didn't help either. Even though her family were some of the strongest supporters of the work that a witcher performed, most of wizarding society looked down upon them, as if they were lesser than them. Dark creatures they were called; labelled so unfairly, just for being the first line of defense between humans and the other races that wandered the world.

Veela, though, were viewed much higher than witchers, and fraternizing with them was not looked kindly upon. They were still, tentatively, on the dark creatures list as well, but people were far more accepting of them. It probably had to do with the rumours of the sex that they could provide.

Fleur stopped herself from scoffing at the thought, but was unable to avoid catching Harry's attention. His eyes lit up as he saw her, and he started moving towards her; excusing himself from the presence of the redheaded girl.

"Fleur, it's great to see you. We were just about to go on a tour of the school, would you care to join us?" he asked as he approached, drawing the attention of those gathered in the Great Hall.

Keeping herself poised as the sudden wave of attention fell over them, she couldn't help, but admire Harry's ability to ignore it all. Even though she didn't flinch, or blush, under the scrutiny, she was well aware of it. She wondered if he noticed it as well.

"Would it be alright for me to join you? It looks like you 'ave another boy in your group. Are you certain that he won't be affected by me?" she asked, pushing aside her other questions for the time being.

"Cedric should be fine. It sounds like he's already in a pretty tight relationship. Plus, you've got me to make sure nothing untoward happens," Harry said, grinning at her.

Forcing a sigh, Fleur put on a pensive expression. It also wouldn't do to seem easy, no matter how much she appreciated the invitation. She had to make sure that those around didn't think that she would do anything when asked. Putting on the show, she knew Harry would be patient. He always seemed to instinctively know when to wait, and to hide any annoyance he may feel, and she had a feeling that Geralt had helped him to develop this trait. It was impressive for a fourteen-year-old.

"I'll take your word for it," she said in French.

Harry's grin widened and he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"You have my guarantee, milady," he replied, also in French.

Fleur actually struggled to fight down the blush that tried to burst onto her face.

"Harry is your lovely friend joining our little excursion?" the Hogwarts boy asked as he finally approached them.

Fleur was thankful for his presence. It allowed her a moment to recover.

"Yeah, she'll be joining us Cedric. Though, I think we should give her a chance to get breakfast first."

"I am fine without. If you are ready to start, I would be more than pleased to accompany you," Fleur said.

"Okay, we'll just get lunch sooner then," a female voice interceded.

Looking over at the owner of the voice, Fleur found the redheaded girl who had been hanging off of Harry staring at her. Immediately ready to get on the defensive, she was surprised by what the girl said next.

"After all, the more the merrier, right."

A bright smile spread across her face as she spoke. With that, Fleur was settled on joining them; no hesitation left at all.

"Yes, the more the merrier," she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry felt at ease once Fleur had agreed to join them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cedric, or Susan – if her were honest. He just felt more comfortable with a familiar face in the crowd. The fact that she had so readily agreed, if her body language said anything, was also pleasing.

He hadn't been able to spend much time with his friend since they left for Hogwarts. Actually, he hadn't had all that much time when he was at Beauxbatons either. She had been caught up in the numerous activities that were required of a student in their final year of school. So, it would be nice to spend some time with her; especially since his time would be taken up with the tournament by the end of the night.

Glancing over at Cedric, Harry was impressed to see that his new friend was doing a reputable job of ignoring Fleur's allure. It helped that he was in a relationship already. Veela, while reputed to be men-stealers, were practically unable to steal a man away from someone he truly loved. Unless they poured a good portion of magic into their allure, if a man was in love he would be able to resist.

Harry had learned this when he had first been found out to be immune to Fleur and Gabrielle's allure. And now, it seemed that Cedric was living up to the qualifications. Whoever this Cho was, she was definitely a special girl to hold his heart to this extent.

"So, where are we off to first Ced?" Susan asked, interrupting Harry's thoughts.

"I thought I'd give a tour of the school, starting from this floor and working our way to the top," Cedric replied.

"Anywhere specific that you want to make sure they see?"

Cedric stopped moving at the tone of Susan's voice. Turning on the girl, he gave her a stern look before replying evenly.

"We are not going to show them that. After what happened, I think its best that we leave it all well enough alone."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

As a witcher, anytime someone mentioned something happened his curiosity was piqued. It was an after-effect of having to keep an ear to the ground for paying jobs for so long. Anything that could possibly turn into one was immediately on his radar.

"I concur, what happened that you don't seem to want to talk about?" Fleur added, her voice joining Harry's.

Cedric sighed, but he seemed to cave. Before he could explain, however, Susan cut in excitedly.

"There was a basilisk on the school grounds," she started. "I was only in my second year when it happened, but after the first attack, the Hogwarts professors managed to kill it. Rumours persist, though, that the Chamber of Secrets was its home."

"Chamber of Secrets?" Harry inquired.

Susan blushed as she seemed to catch up with the fact that her audience had no idea what she was talking about.

"Su here is trying to say that one of the four founders of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin, had a secret room which the professors found while hunting down the basilisk," Cedric interceded.

"Yeah, what Ced said," Susan added.

"Can we go see it?" Harry asked quickly, excitement building up in him.

"Um, there's actually only rumours about where it's located," Cedric said. "No one in the school actually knows where it is. Well, the Weasley girl does, but she doesn't talk much anymore."

Harry nodded in understanding. But his curiosity wouldn't quit. Now that he knew that someplace like this existed on the school grounds, he would be reticent to give up the hunt.

"Sounds pleasant," Fleur said; her disinterest audible. "But is there anywhere, less foul to see?"

"Of course," Cedric said. "Let's start with this floor and work our way up."

Harry nodded, but his mind was now caught up with the idea of the Chamber of Secrets. Maybe he could get Geralt to deem it a worthwhile endeavour and help him find it. With that thought in mind, he followed alongside the others.

End Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, this was a long one coming. Writing this was a lot of fun because I was able to start incorporating elements of The Witcher universe into this and more will be coming soon. Anyway, I apologize for the long wait, but I do hope to update more frequently. Thanks to all who have read and supported the story. It is appreciated. **

**Now, since I have some space, I'm going to respond to a couple of questions here. Firstly, yes, the Wild Hunt will come into play. How and when? Well, I can't say that as it plays heavily into the story and I don't feel like revealing anything about that yet. **

**Secondly, others learning swordplay may or may not happen. It depends on if it fits with the characters that Harry interacts with. So far, I'm leaning towards the no. But that could change at some point if it fits the build up to the desired result I need from this story. **

**Finally, I can't say anything on the champion topic; mainly because the next chapter will cover the Goblet and its choosing. I have things planned and won't be revealing them yet. **

**Anyway, thanks again to all who follow and support this story. Until next time, **

**Nanashi Wanderer **


End file.
